Hot Topics

Indoor Vs. Outdoor Tanning

April 25, 2017 Comments

Hey tanning beauties! I have been hearing this question come up more and more… Why is indoor tanning vs outdoor tanning a better option? Well, tanning indoors is a perfect way to expose your skin to a controlled source of UV light, making it much safer than laying out in the sun. People tan for all different reasons whether it be to build a base before vacation, to get an extra dose of Vitamin D, to improve a skin condition (such as acne or psoriasis), or just to get some beautiful bronzed skin (like me *wink*)! The important part of all those tanning objectives is to do it SAFELY.

Most people wonder if tanning is safe. Well, what some people may not know is that indoor and outdoor tanning both share the same benefits and risks, but UV exposure in moderation is the key – and indoor tanning is the perfect way to control that. You never EVER want to let yourself burn, and indoor tanning can help prevent that by following a recommended tan time, such as what Australian Tan provides when you first go in!

It’s easy to say, “At least this will turn into a nice tan!”, after getting burnt, but getting a sunburn just damages your skin short AND long term. The key to getting that “nice tan” is gradually building up a base tan so that you allow your skin to generate melanin, safely. Gradually building up a base tan protects your skin from burning and decreases your risk to UV exposure. Therefore, in most cases, people who are about to go on a vacation where they know they will spend a lot of time in the sun, they will visit a tanning salon to build up a base tan before they leave! If you didn’t already know, the trained Certified Tanning Professionals at ATC are great about helping you build up your base tan the right way for YOUR skin.

To give you a quick explanation about UV rays… UVB rays are considered the “burning rays” and UVA rays are more of the “bronzing” rays. You may be wondering why anyone would want to go into a more predominantly UVB tanning bed, but we all actually need some UVB in order to build up a base tan!

Since UVB is a necessary source for building a base, they typically recommend starting off in the level 3 bed so you are getting mostly UVA rays, but a perfect amount of UVB to help your skin produce melanin = build darker pigment in your skin. Then, after a couple sessions hop into the level 5 beds (my favorite) which are the high-pressure bronzing/instant beds which contain less than 1% UVB. Keep in mind though, rotating between beds is key because it will help to both produce melanin, and then turn that melanin into a gorgeous brown color.

This is why I love my Passport Plus membership because I get access into all level UV beds, spray booth AND spa services (perfect to use when you’re giving your skin a break from UV rays). Consistency is the key to building a base tan – if you wait too long between sessions, your tan will fade and you will lose what you have already worked hard for. Unlimited tanning memberships are definitely the way to go since you will want to visit Australian Tan multiple times throughout the week to maintain your color like I do!

Be sure to also use a lotion, but not just any lotion, a specific indoor tanning lotion designed for tanner’s skin! Tanning lotions are not just a way for tanning salon to make more money, THEY REALLY WORK! Indoor tanning lotions stimulate the melanin production in your skin faster than any other product due to their high-end ingredients. They also provide much needed moisture (dry skin deflects rays) to make your tan last longer, and put back nutrients into your skin to prevent drying and wrinkling. If you haven’t already, you should try one of Australian Tan’s private line of lotions; Flirt, Tease and Affair! They all help me achieve the color I want when I want it.

I hope I was able to provide a little more insight on the indoor vs outdoor tanning questions you may have had. Be sure and check back for more on my next blog post!

XOXO,

Bronzed Girl

Confessions of an Australian Tanaholic

March 20, 2017 Comments

Hey readers & ATC fans!

First let me start off by introducing myself… My name is Angela and I work for this amazing company we all know and love – Australian Tan! I’ve been a member of Australian Tan since 2007. Any chance I could get to have beautifully tanned skin all year long, I was there. Now let’s not get carried away, I don’t tan every day, because even our skin needs a break. Even then, I’m able to keep my skin feeling refreshed and looking amazing, thanks to all the other services we offer. I mean my gosh, have you guys tried all our awesome spa services yet?! The red-light therapy bed and cocoon wellness pod are my favorite guilty pleasures.

I start off my salon visit by using the red-light therapy right before I tan, which makes my skin feel so silky smooth and taught, but not tight. If you didn’t already know, the red light also promotes proper circulation so when you hop in a tanning bed after, your skin is building an even richer tan! But back to its other benefits… I unfortunately am victim to stress acne that forms around my face and chin. Since I know I’m not the only one, believe me when I say that the red light bed has made such a huge difference in my complexion. After a red light session, my skin always looks and feels revived, and all I have to do is lay there! Not only does it clear up my skin, but I have a few scars from when I played sports in high school, and they are actually fading away thanks to the red light therapy. The red light bed is a total must if you have any scars, stubborn stretch marks or even if you just feel like your skin is not as tight as it used to be.

But NOW for the Cocoon! That machine is absolutely a-ma-zing. It’s like my own personal sauna and I don’t have to share! I can just lay down, put on some good music and relax my day away for 20 minutes. There are 4 different settings to choose from when you get in the pod. I always shoot for the fitness setting because after a good workout, the heat and vibration helps calm my muscles and relax my entire body. It also opens up my pores and clears my body of any toxins I may have encountered before jumping in. You can even lose up to 2 pounds of water weight with regular use every week! Hellooo, who wouldn’t want that?

There’s so much more that I can tell you about all the amazing services we have at Australian Tan, but for now, follow my lead around the salon during your next visit and your skin will be thanking you! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask any of our salon staff members or give our office a call. I can’t wait to talk to you guys next time!

TaTa for now my Beautiful Bronze Babes,

Angela

Learning The Ins and Outs of Tanning Lotions

March 8, 2017 Comments

The Ins and Outs of Indoor Tanning Lotions

Hey bronzed babes, today I wanted to talk a little bit about how important using indoor tanning lotions are. If you are as committed to tanning as I am, you should absolutely know all the ins and outs of your products and what your skin truly needs.

First off, it’s important to realize that specialized indoor tanning lotions are very different than lotions that are formulated for outdoor use or those basic suntan lotions that you can purchase at the drugstore. Believe it or not, you should never use a drugstore tanning lotion because they contain mineral oils which work as an SPF and will strip your skin of it’s beautiful tan!

The ultimate key to indoor tanning is that you want to keep your skin as healthy as possible. After all, happy skin = tan skin! If you are regularly tanning without use of a quality lotion, your skin is working its way towards being dry and flaky *YUCK*, and will not tan nearly as well as if you were using a lotion in the first place! I know, I know… we’ve all been told, “Your skin would be much healthier without all that over-exposure to UV rays”. But let’s face it, it’s hard to deny ourselves of beautiful bronzed skin! Am I right?

For example, a cheap lotion may help you work towards that tan you’ve been wanting, but is it really taking care of your skin? Chances are, the answer is no. A high-end lotion on the other hand not only helps you build a rich dark tan, but it’s maintaining the health of your skin too! A perfect example of a lotion that has everything all in one, is their private line lotion TEASE. Not only does is have a perfect blend of bronzers and accelerators to enhance your tan, but it has amazing skin care benefits too! Just to name a few…

PhloreTan™ – Antioxidant blend that works to reduce dark spots and even out skin tone.

When buying your next lotion, remind yourself of this like I do – the higher the price, the more ingredients for both accelerating your tan and skin care it will contain. Who doesn’t love MORE bronzers and MORE high-end skin care ingredients? I know I sure do!

Q – My lotion bottle says that it has 50X bronzers, so that means it has 50 different types of bronzers in it.

A – FALSE!

Tanning lotions that you typically find at drugstores usually have labels that say things like “50X Bronzers!” or “100XX Bronzers!” which only means that they are claiming it is an Xtended or Xtra boost. NOT that it has that many bronzers, especially because (hellooo) there aren’t even that many possible!

The main bronzers you find in lotions are natural bronzers, cosmetic bronzers and DHA bronzers. Natural bronzers are lightly tinted due to the pigments found in walnut shell extract, fig, henna and other ingredients found in, that’s right, nature! Cosmetic bronzers are closely related to makeup. Cosmetic – Makeup… see the relation? It’s just like foundation, you apply it to your skin and get immediate dark results! Although they wash off and are only temporary, they give you amazing results especially if you have an event to go to the same day. And lastly, DHA Bronzers are delayed reaction bronzers that get darker over time. DHA (aka – dihydroxyacetone) is a sugar-based colorless tanning ingredient that reacts with your skin’s proteins to produce a delayed natural bronze color! Being that DHA is clear, it can sometimes be hard to tell exactly where your delayed bronzers are going, so typically I recommend DHA based lotions for more experienced tanners or tanners with a darker base tan, like me 😉

I hope I was able to shed some light on how key using a proper tanning lotion for your bronzing and skin care needs is. What are you waiting for? Visit the girls at Australian Tan to find a perfect lotion just for YOU!

XOXO,

Bronze Girl

Spray Tan Survival Guide

November 15, 2016 Comments

Hey! Hey! Hey!

Bronze Girl here – Today I’m here to talk to you about spray tanning in our Versa Spas, since we want all our Australian Tan family to have GORGEOUS tans for the holidays! You always hear those horror stories about how after you spray tan it look splotchy, you’re completely orange and it just looks absolutely horrible! You know what I am talking about, the people who are a streaky, splotchy hot mess that you would see in a movie – it has simply given spray tans a bad rep! To be honest with you it’s nothing like that. I know your first spray tan can sometimes be intimidating and you can be a little nervous because you’re scared you might mess up. But I’m here to tell you… There is no reason to be afraid of spray tans! No need to worry!! I’m here to give you some helpful spray tanning tips…you have now entered your spray tanning survival guide class!!! Now take a seat and even take some notes as well, I’m going to provide you with some proven tips to help you walk out of your sunless tanning session looking flawless!

My Personal Spray Survival Guide –

Preparation is the key to it all!! When you take the time to prepare properly, your tan will thank you with gorgeous glowing color that can last nearly twice as long.

Step One: Exfoliation-

Your body is constantly shedding skin cells to keep your skin healthy and B-E-A-UTIFUL, but unfortunately it can lead to an un-even and streaky tan. So what you need to do in preparation for your spray is to buff off dead and unwanted skin cells! Adding exfoliation to your pre-tanning ritual will help to ensure a much more even and longer lasting spray tan. You’ll skin will be much softer! An effective method of exfoliation would be using a beaded scrub or even just a loofa!

Step Two: Be Sure to Shave –

Unless you want to look like a hairy mammoth, you’ll want to shave before you spray. Not only is it a great way to help exfoliate, but shaving after your spray session can leave bumps and destroy the tan you’re working towards!

Step Three: Take It All Off –

All of us want to look and smell good, so we need products to do just that! However, certain daily beauty products such as body oil, lotion, deodorant and perfume can be your enemy instead of your friend when preparing to spray. So instead, take a quick shower before coming in to the salon to double-check that it’s all off!

Step Four (Optional): Double Dip –

Get your skin ready to soak up the solution! Commonly known as double dipping, the use of a UV bed prior to your spray tan can help open your pores, allowing the sunless solution to absorb deeper into your skin. Usually when bed tanning, you would use a tanning lotion to give you that ultimate tan your looking for, but some ingredients in regular tanning lotions can block the absorption of bronzer in the spray booth. So today, we’re not going to use one of our regular tanning lotions, but instead we’re going to use our sunless lotion called CT Cocktail! This lotion is specifically made to prep your skin for both UV and UV free tanning (aka the spray!). Before you hop in your favorite tanning bed, use our cocktail lotion with added bronzers – woo! – and your skin will already be prepped for the spray right after! This way your skin absorbs more sunless solution for darker results, you will reduce streaking and accelerate the time it takes to develop your tan.

PSST! Go check out our specials tab to get details on our current Cocktail promotion!

Step Five: Barrier Cream –

In the room, barrier cream is provided and can help prevent the solution from ending up in unwanted areas such as the bottoms of your feet, palms of your hands and fingernails. Be sure not to skip the barrier cream, this will make a huge difference with your results. After all, no one wants discolored hands or feet!

Step Six: Positions –

While you’re in the booth, I have a few positions that can help you get that perfect and even golden glow that you want!

*Tiger Claws – Sounds funny, but curl your fingers, and spread your fingers apart to prevent funny white lines between them and in the creases of your knuckles.

*Pop that thang – To avoid those unwanted tan lines (or what we call smile lines) under your booty, “pop that thang”, and you’ll be golden… Everywhere! But be sure to straighten yourself out again to get full coverage on your back as well.

*Running Man – While doing your running man position (facing left and right), make sure that your legs are completely spread apart and you’re standing up straight – because if your legs are bent you might miss the area behind your knee!

Step Eight: Now we wait –

After you’re done spray tanning, you need to wait about 6-8 hours before washing it off. If you shower before the minimum developing time, you’ll be washing off the majority of your bronzer. You have two options… One, you can spray during the day and watch your color develop over the 6-8 hours, or two, you can spray at night and sleep on your spray tan and shower in the morning. Don’t worry, after the full 8 hours you may look a little darker than expected; but once you shower, the excess bronzer washes off and underneath that is your golden glow you’ve been waiting for! If you choose to let your color develop during the day, make sure to avoid any physical activity that could mess up your delicate spray session. Go home, kick up your feet (maybe even with a glass of wine) and let your bronzer do it’s thang! 😉

Some Questions You Might Have…

Q1: How long is this process going to take?

A1:Although there are many steps to this tanning process, once you come into the salon, it should only take about 10 minutes to complete your spray session. If you are new to this process, give yourself and extra couple minutes to make sure your bronzer has dried before getting dressed again.

Q2: How long will my tan last?

A2: Usually your spray will last anywhere from 5-7 days but if you decide to use a tan extender which is a lotion that you apply twice daily, it will last anywhere from 7-10 days! Check out our CT Tan Extender to replace your daily lotion – this one is my favorite 🙂

Q3: Will the solution make me look orange?

A3:Every spray solution differs, so Australian Tan uses only the finest solution in their booths to ensure that every spray looks even and natural. Spray solution consists of DHA and Cosmetic bronzers, both of which will give you instant color. BUT our solution is also sugar and aloe based which will enhance your natural color.

Q4: Is spray tanning safe to do?

A4:DHA bronzers and Cosmetic bronzers are both FDA approved and the sugar and aloe based solution has less chemicals and is more natural than most other solutions.

I hope this was a helpful survival lesson for all of you! Now get in there and get your spray on!!

XOXO,

Bronze Girl

Marketing Coordinator

Maintaining a brand leader image in the service/beauty/tanning industry requires a diverse set of skills. We are a relatively small but growing multi-million dollar fast paced company with aggressive plans for expansion in the San Francisco Bay area. We have corporate offices near Morgan Hill. We have not forgotten our roots as a young, fun-loving, exciting, entrepreneurial company. We have multiple retail locations, which will benefit from a dynamic approach to marketing, particularly the new world of digital marketing. If you are looking for excitement and career growth opportunities and are good at what you do, contact us with your resume and cover letter.

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Strategize with other key members of the Australian Tan Management Team on innovative revenue generating ideas

Answer, direct and make phone calls professionally

Respond to customer inquiries

Research required information using available resources

Provide customers with product and service information

Provide an exceptional positive attitude to maintain strong relationships with our customers and with our staff.

Answer, assist and direct incoming telephone calls to appropriate parties in a professional and courteous manner

Acts as a liaison between Sales, Marketing and the salons to facilitate successful completion of different tasks.

Maintain (with training) industry specific software, Sunlync that is an integral part of the company’s communication system. This includes updating announcements, setting up and monitoring promotional material, etc.

Manage, implement and execute the sales & marketing policies and practices, which will include market research, competitor analyses and customer service and retention monitoring processed and initiatives

Work alongside Marketing Manager, to ensure the marcom material, and sales work seamlessly in the stores

Any other related responsibilities assigned by direct manager

Reports to: Sales and Marketing Manager

Job Requirements:

Energetic

Self- Motivated

Able to work with a diverse group of individuals

Ability to deliver results not excuses

Ability to control an annual expenditure budget to optimum effectiveness.

Preferred 1-2 years’ experience working in marketing or sales support function, preferably in a retail setting

Must have a strong interpersonal skills and good judgment and be capable of communicating with a diverse range of individuals.

Must work effectively with senior-level corporate executives and retail store staff

Work well in a team based environment.

Flexibility to grow and adapt in a growing retail company.

New Spa Services!

August 30, 2016 Comments

Have you heard about all of the amazing things we now offer?

Red Light Therapy: accelerate the production of collagen and elastin proteins, this gentle yet extremely effective treatment is very beneficial as an anti-aging and skin rejuvenation tool. In addition, Red Light Therapy, aids in fading sun spots and hyper pigmentation by stimulating the skin cells vitality and permeability. It’s a noninvasive, non-surgical face lift alternative that helps to maintain elasticity and firmness while refining texture and smoothing lines and wrinkles.

Benefits:

Stimulates collagen production to reduce wrinkles and fine lines

Evens out skin tones and complexion

Improves acne-prone skin

Increase moisture retention

Stimulates blood flow for increased circulation

Minimizes scars and stretch marks

Keeps skin renewed and refreshed

UV Free

Wellness Cocoon Pod:

Benefits:

Promotes weight loss

Increases metabolism

Removes toxins

Relieves joint and muscle pain

Alleviates physical stress and stiffness

Reduces water retention and bloating

Minimizes fatigue and tiredness

Helps loosen stiff or achy muscles

Automated massage to help relieve stress and muscles after a long day on your feet.

End of Summer Bundle!

August 5, 2016 Comments

Okay so we all know August is marked as the LAST month of Summer, but who says Summer has to end just yet? Let’s be honest it’s technically still festival, vacation and wedding season. This month is known for its hot heat and we are certain that you want bronzed skin when you’re out taking advantage of the hot California weather enjoying yourselves. Right? That’s why we wanted to give you the opportunity to try the hottest new lotions, top beds and the best part off all, our new Spa Services. I mean we know you’ve already had to hear about our new Passport Plus membership which is basically giving you VIP without the VIP price tag.

Right now with this promotion you can experience the luxury as a passport holder for a WHOLE week and don’t worry we have you covered on the best lotions that will amplify your color like never before for a sizzling price.Summer may be ending soon season wise, but with Australian Tan you can keep that summer glow all year long.

Take that Mother Nature.

New Spa Services!

July 7, 2016 Comments

As a growing company we have expanded from not only tanning but to spa services as well to fit a wider range of clients needs. We have recently introduced 4 new spa services to 3 of our current locations…If you are near our Morgan Hill, Blossom Hill or Livermore location stop in and check out some of these new services…

Infra Red: It is like stepping into a dry sauna but it helps circulation which will help you tan faster, it can help with joint and muscle relief and on top of it all has this amazing Himalayan Sea Salt that cleanses while also killing bacteria.

Red Light Therapy: It is an amazing benefit to not only are you rebuilding your collagen but you are reducing the sign of wrinkles, smoothing out your skin tone to get a healthy glow and moisturizing your face in the process. It’s like an extreme facial for your entire body.

Teeth Whitening: These have a stronger amount of the whitening ingredient then over the counter whitening products, like crest white strips. Crest white strips closest product, is $65 and takes 14 applications. Our treatment is significantly stronger than that is completed in 3 sessions and results show up faster with our specialized light.

Automated Massage: This will make you feel like you are going to a masseuse without having to actually go! It can help with joint and muscle relief, Jianliao and Naoyu points to allow full back stretch, helps keep balance by relieving pressure from certain point and gives you a hand and foot massage on top of it all.

With new services like these plus still having all of your tanning needs at one location, you wont need to go anywhere else!

We look forward to seeing you!

The Perfect Summer Glow

July 5, 2016 Comments

This is the question that everyone is always asking. How do you get that perfect summer glow? Well we have a few tips and tricks to share with you.

You will thank us later, trust me.

Always and when we say always we truly mean ALWAYSuse a lotion if you are going tanning in either a tanning bed or simply enjoying the day outside by going to the beach or taking a walk. If you don’t then you aren’t going to be getting that summer glow you are longing for and it takes at least 6 minutes (without a lotion) for your skin to even start absorbing the light coming off the tanning bed…those are 6 precious minutes of tan time you could be getting.

Second never notuse a lotion to moisturize. When we say moisturize we are talking about the lotions you use when you get out of the shower, wake up in the morning and before bed. You want to make sure the lotion you are using does NOThave minerals in it. The minerals that come in those lotions are truly just stripping away that perfect tan you have been working so hard for and you’ll be starting over or you wont be seeing any further progress with your tan. **Don’t worry we have the right ones waiting to be purchased at our salons**

Lastly make sure you are exfoliating. If you don’t exfoliate before you tan then you are almost always just tanning over the dead skin cells, and to answer any questions or misconceptions, yes everyone has these and it’s natural. This means that instead of progressing your tan and getting that summer glow like you just came back from vacation (and if you did we are super jealous) you are just letting the tan go.

These are just a few of our favorite tips and tricks but we’ll make sure to keep you updated with new ones along the way.

Happy tanning!

25% Off Any Bottle Of Lotion!

March 3, 2015 Comments

Thanks to the great support from both our new and long term loyal customers, we are so excited to announce that we have acquired a 9th Australian Tan location in Livermore! We would love for you to join us at our grand opening party on Saturday March 21st where we will be having FREE tanning in any level UV bed and $5 spray tans. We will also have amazing introductory rates on lotions and membership. Don’t miss out on all the fun as we will be raffling off lots of lotions and tanning packages.

We hope to see you there, don’t forget to invite your friends and family!